South Kashmir’s Kulgam district shuts for second consecutive day against the killing of Hizb militant Dawood Ahmed Sheikh. Hizb militant and close associate of Burhan Wani, a resident of Reshipora Kulgam died in a brief gunfight with government forces in Buchroo village of the district on Sunday night.All the shops and business establishments remained shut while transport remained off the roads. Heavy contingent of police and Para-military troopers were deployed on the roads to thwart possible protests. The government forces had sealed all the entry and exit points to Qaimoh to stop people from coming on roads. The district had witnessesd violent clashes on Monday while thousands of people had converged at Qaimou to participate in the last rites of the slain militant. In the current year, the three districts of South Kashmir including Kulgam, Pulwama and Anantnag witnessed 20 day’s shutdown so far. After every killing of the militant, people in these districts suspended their business for day’s together.
There was four day’s shutdown in Pulwama in the month of January after a local Hizb militant Shariq Ahmed Bhat of Brow Bandana, Awantipora was killed in gun battle with Indian troopers, triggering violent protest which left one civilian Parvaiz Ahmed Guroo resident of Naina dead. In February, the killing of a local militant Adil Ahmed in Kakapora that sparked protests resulting in the death of two civilians in Kakapora sparked 4 day’s shutdown in district Pulwama. Shutdown was observed in Anantnag district on January 29 to mourn the death of militant Mushtaq Ahmed Haroo of Pushwara who was killed in a gunfight with Indian troopers at Kalhar Kokarnag on January 26. Similarly, people observed shutdown in Tral, Awantipora and Pampore after the death of militants in gun battles with government forces. (CNS)